Customer service is a foriegn word at Home Depot

[Glenn Clabo]

Kids...bagging/hauling groceries...mowing lawns...shoveling snow...pumping gas...AHHH those were the days.

[Al Willits]

Regardless of the number of dishonest people they see, when they assume you are trying to rip them off from the minute you walk into the door, that's a problem. I'm talking attitude, not policy.

I think your looking at it wrong Matt, I doubt the store thinks every one who walks though their door is out to steal from them, but I do think they realize that they don't know who is, and thus the blanket policy.

Do a Goggle on shoplifting and I think you'll see that it isn't just a few that do it, its a multi million dollar problem.
Also it seems most major retailers have posted signs on returning goods, and every one I can remember wants to see the receipt, remember Matt, they don't know ya like we do....

I see people get mad when they bring stuff back and they don't have the receipt, its broken from their misuse or they've used it for a while and don't like the color among other things, I don't think ya can fault the store if you're not doing your part.

I think most that have worked retail, or in the service industry understand there are many nice people out there, but unfortunately there are enough that aren't and have to act accordingly.

I've worked in the service industry for almost 40 years now, and I will say my opinion of people in general has changed over the years, not for the good unfortunately, I find this true with many of the older service techs I know.
This probably makes me a bit more tolerant of stores that have stricter policy's.

If it makes ya feel better Matt, you could return something I sold ya with out a receipt.



I'd need 3 forms of ID and a sworn affidavit though....

Al..

[Rob Bodenschatz]

I just posted a very blunt reply to Ken but decided to delete it. If you saw it before it was deleted and wanted to quote it in a reply, please do not do so. I don't wish to fan the flames of this issue at this time. Thank you.

[Tyler Howell]

Sign of the times. Play by the rules. Borg has had to change because crooks are hitting them harder and good people are turning into crooks.
I buy in bulk, especially plumbing and electrical because i hate return trips in the middle of a project. Hang on to that receipt.
Works every time.
Menards has got a keosk (sp) where you can swipe your bank card and get a copy of all the receipts you've made with that card.
Good policy
At least meet them half way.

[Matt Meiser]

Al, what I mean is that I'm fine having a policy that you need a reciept--pretty much everyone has that policy anymore, but what I don't like is being treated with suspicion just because I'm bringing something back. It doesn't happen all the time and it actually doesn't have anything to do with Home Depot or any other store in particular. It is probably more related to particular people, but it is something that I think these stores should recognize and train their employees on, especially since I assume they are training their employees to suspect anything out of the ordinary.

I don't know what happened when Ken went in, but it wouldn't suprise me if part of the reason he is mad isn't that they wouldn't take it back, but how they conveyed that to him.

[Rob Bodenschatz]

I don't know what happened when Ken went in, but it wouldn't suprise me if part of the reason he is mad isn't that they wouldn't take it back, but how they conveyed that to him.

Nothing in Ken's post suggested that.

[Matt Meiser]

Menards has got a keosk (sp) where you can swipe your bank card and get a copy of all the receipts you've made with that card.

I wondered how that worked. Though that brings up a whole other issue if they are storing CC information for any length of time. Tough to stay ahead of the bad guys.

[Ryan Myers]

Requiring a receipt for return is just a sign of the times. There are very few places left that will actually take a return without a receipt.

Target will not take returns without receipt and even then only 90 days from date of purchase. After that you are out of luck.

Lowe's now has in place a system that uses your phone number to track cash purchases, which they can look up for return purposes. But my local Lowe's to which I shop daily has the same poor attitude among employees as HD, so don't think they are going to be better. I needed to order about $1000 worth of countertop a few months ago. Went to cabinet department, couldn't find anyone. Found someone in the appliance section assembling a dryer, said he would be with me in a few minutes. I waited fifteen minutes, saw him help another customer briefly in the appliance section then went back to assembling the dryer. Ten more minutes I stormed out and mentioned to the manager in the front about the poor customer service. I ordered my countertop elsewhere. I still buy things there, but think about that incident evertime I step foot in the store.

We have a grocery store chain where I live that still has people who wheel your groceries out to your car and load them. They aren't aloud to take tips. Suprising to still find that amount of customer service today. I wish every business operated like this.

That being said, I would have absolutely no desire ever to work in retail and deal with the public. It takes a special kind.

[Matt Meiser]

Nothing in Ken's post suggested that.

Nope, and even he and the clerk might not know if that is true.

[David G Baker]

I tape all of my receipts that have a state tax on them in a notebook so I can knock off the money I paid to the state on taxable items. I always have receipts for returns if I need them. My old system was to throw all receipts for taxable items in a box so I had them if I need to return items, it worked but was a pain to find them at times.
The only time I had trouble returning something to HD was when I didn't have a receipt for a tape measure that broke. I was embarrassed when they told me HD didn't carry that brand. It was one of those senior moments. Come to find out I had purchased it at Lowe's. They exchanged it with out any problem.

[John Shuk]

I have to say that HD's policy is a little late coming after being complicit in the scams people pull by fraudulenty charging back the vendors. The cashiers don't have to fight with customers and they don't have to train employees to handle stock too carefully because if it gets broken the vendor is responsible. Pretty crappy way to run a business if you ask me.

[Al Willits]

Al, what I mean is that I'm fine having a policy that you need a reciept--pretty much everyone has that policy anymore, but what I don't like is being treated with suspicion just because I'm bringing something back. It doesn't happen all the time and it actually doesn't have anything to do with Home Depot or any other store in particular. It is probably more related to particular people, but it is something that I think these stores should recognize and train their employees on, especially since I assume they are training their employees to suspect anything out of the ordinary.

I don't know what happened when Ken went in, but it wouldn't suprise me if part of the reason he is mad isn't that they wouldn't take it back, but how they conveyed that to him.

I'd agree on that one, policy is one thing, but poor service is another ball game, I don't expect to see smiling, shiny faces at any store, even though its nice, but I do expect to be treated in a proffessional manner.

I have no qualms about shopping at another store that has a good customer service attitude, even if I have to pay more, ya don't have to love me, but don't insult me...

Al